, 1887-03-18
MwINNEHAIIA'S LOVER.

through the lane back of Governor Gil
mcr's old residence, through the stretch of
oak and pine, to where the huge shaking
rock balances itself on the enormous
bowlder, do not know that II legend is
connected with the great rock and the lit
tie stream which winds its way at the
bottom of the slope and out into the val
ley below, until it nnds its home in the
creek beyond.
1t has been many nnd many II year ago;
long before Oglethorpe county was set
tied. Where Meson academy stands was
an endless stretch of forest, and in the
meadow below the dun deer fed and laved
their thirst in the stream flowing through
it. The tall grass grew In its native lux
urinnce; the oak and pine bowed their
heads to the Whispering west wind; upon
their branches the turtle doves cooed and
mated, and the lovely violets and johnny
jump ups blushed and bloomed, with their
tender petals untouched and unbroken by
the tread of the white man. The bands
OF Cherokees held u~ndisputed reign within
the boundless forests, planted their wig
vans In the valleys and meadows under
the whispering trees and by the side of
the streams which lowly to the
blackbirds singing on the bending PUSHES.
In his olden time, the legend goes, a
tribe of Cherokees wendell their way
hither and pitched their tents on the
banks of the laughing winter. The war
rior braves hunted the mild eyed deer in
the forests, and the twang of the bow
string married the s~oftness of the turtle
doves love song. The squaws tended
their patches of corn and maize, and the
Indian village thrived and prospered. The
moons waned and fulled, and waned again,
many and many a time, but the smoke of
the camp fire still curled upward and the
pipe of peace was smoked again and again
within the wigwam of the Cherokee
braves. In their unfettered happiness the
dusky warriors and the dusky maidens
passed away the hours of the day, and the
pleasures of the hunt were enhanced by
the pleasures of the corn dance. The sun
smiled down in peace upon the happy vii
lage, and the west wind mildly kissed the
dusky cheeks of the men, the wives and
the maidens.
Among the bravest Of the braves whose
tents made up the Indian village was To-
hobo. He was as 1.-THE rs q hickory, as
straight as an arrow, strong as the oak
and fearless as the lion. In the peaceful
chase, or when the war cry rang out, he
was foremost Of all the braves. Stern,
impossible, n natures hero in natures
home.
The wigwam of Tohoho was made
bright by the laughing eyes and the
lovely form of his daughter-a maiden
who was the one idol of the stern warriors
heart and the pride and pet of the indian
village. Minnehaha he had named her,
and Laughing water" suited her every
movement. She was slender as the elder,
willowy in form and with n wealth Of the
blacklist hair. Her eyes shone like the
stars in the sky, and her teeth glistened
rs polished ivory. She was the gayest
and most modest of all the maidens in the
Cherokee village, and moved in the wig
wan of the stern Tohoho ms u queen.
Many were the Indian braves whose
hearts had been made captive by the
bright eyes and brighter ways of the
lovely Minnehaha, but to zone of her suit
ors had she given the slightest sign of en-
couragement. Returning from the chase,
they brought her the rarest trophies Of
their skill, but she smiled and put them
aside. Necklaces of richest hues and all
the love tokens of the Indian days were
laid ut her feet, but she spurned them all
with gcntleness but decision.
Her Indifference to these overtures of
love from the young braves was crafty
ing to Tohoho, for he loved his beautiful
daughter so deeply that he did not care to
give her up. He thought of how lonely
would be the wigwam if, when returning
liOiii III III hhN y 1o vi III
haha did not greet him at the threshold
and her voice did not welcome him back.
The legend goes that thus matters stood
for many, many moons. Despite all the
efforts made to win her affections, the
maiden remained as free as the wind of
heaven.
But one day the braves went out to
hunt in the forests many miles away from
their tents on the streams and from tho
wigwam of Tohoho. While on this hunt
they came upon a small party of white men
who were prospecting through the forest.
An %ncoun occurred between the Indian
braves and their natural enemies, which
resulted in the death of all the pale faces,
save one, who was desperately wounded.
He would have likewise been disposed of
by the young braves had not Tohoho, who
was with the party, plead for his fe-fo
what reason the legend does not say. But
the young pale face was carried to the
camp Of the Indians and placed in the
wigwam of Tohoho himself.
Here he remained u long time, lowering
between life md death. But Minnehaha,
touched by his sufferings and attracted by
his handsome, manly form, consented to
nurse him, and daily spent many hours
beside the pale face stranger, bathing
his wounds with healing herbs, and
moistening his lips with the sparkling
water of the spring near by.
AS the days went by, and the beautiful
maiden lowered Mt his sid and ministered
to his sufIerings, the young man improved
in strength. He was charmed by her
beauty md natural grace; and Minnehaha
in turn became deeply interested in the
blue eyed pale face. So deep was the inn
preston made upon him that the pale face
determined TO %relinquish all intentions he
may nave had OF efIecting his escape, md
to become n member Of the tribe.
When he became stronger he made
known his wishes to Tohoho, and after
deep consideration he was accepted into
the brotherhood Cherokee. fHe soon
proved himself equal to any If the young
braves in the chase and othe sports OF the
field, and rapidly won the admiration -
the braves and the squaws. He was
strong and athletic, tender but daring,
and he soon found favor In the eyes Of
Tohoho.
lie did not forget the lovely young
maiden, and paid her court in his own way.
As he learned the language of the
Chcrokees, he spoke to her OF love and its
sweetness in such n charming way that he
soon won what the other young braves
had sued for in vain. When he sued
before Tohoho, the u%nbending warrior
was loath to yield, but when Minnchnha
I-n1 a. A. - a..